The quickest way to lose before you even get started is to have too much. A trust fund doesn’t motivate anyone. Lottery winners get bored and have to keep overspending for excitement (then they run out of money).

A nice-paying job robs you of the ambition to do truly amazing things. Why would you think outside of the box? Your already in it.

We have a relatively short time on this blue ball, right? Why waste any?

Yet, it seems, everybody spends an inordinate amount of time not being fully honest. Being polite. Political correctness, they often call it. Except it has extended beyond politics, it seems. Why?

Does it serve you or the person your speaking to? I suppose both, if your goal is to keep the peace or not ruffle feathers. Is that your primary goal?

When you don’t speak your true mind your wasting your time and the time of the person your speaking to. Your inserting a detour in progress, by misleading. This is a cost of the lack of transparency.

Being completely earnest and transparent sets high standards and improves anybody that seeks to meet those standards. And if your pursuing a role of leadership, it also creates loyal followers among those that believe in your message. It’s your job to be honest. And if your true opinion is accurate, everybody wins.

We only take action for two reasons. The first is that we are required to. Think paying taxes here. We do so because we have to. Plain and simple.

The only other reason to take an action is that it benefits us in some way. This can be a direct benefit, such as buying a candy bar. We enjoy it. Directly. Or the benefit can be indirect. For example, you might pay for your child’s college tuition because it will help prepare them for a fruitful life. And the idea that your kids will have a fruitful life makes you happy. Or giving to the homeless. It provides a positive feeling to the giver. That feeling loops back as a direct benefit. Whether direct or indirect, the activity has value to the person taking the action .

Other than a requirement or a benefit, whether direct or indirect, there are no other reasons to engage in an activity. Simply put, if the activity isn’t required of you, it must provide a benefit. It must have value. Otherwise, you wouldn’t do it. Right?

Does everything you do fit into one of these two categories? If not, why are you doing it?

Everybody is afraid of making the wrong decision. Going down the wrong path. Failing. But what they should be most fearful of is making no decision at all. If you make the right decision, you win. If you make the wrong decision, you learn how to lose which takes you one step closer to learning how to win. Either way, you are better off than when you started.

The only thing worse than going in the wrong direction, is going nowhere at all.